RP:Power For Mischief

Part of the Hour of Wolves Arc

Summary: A Mysterious Entity calls to Meri, and offers her a gift in exchange for a little trouble-making.

Faux Twilight Cavern

Meri had been touched by the ice spice at the wall ambush, a touch that would certainly linger for the days to come. She had already heard the voice whispering in her mind, the voice that was now beckoning her with fervour. Should Meri set foot in Frostmaw, she would find herself under the eye of a very addicted elf. The elf would sniff furiously, his nose a blackish-blue from consistent abuse of the substance. “Oi,” he jerks his head, “oi, you!” he needed her attention badly. “Come wi’ me,” he’d tell her. Should Meri hesitate for too long, she’d find that familiar yet unfamiliar voice whispering into her mind: ~Come to me, girl. Come to me and find power.~

Meri would indeed set foot within Frostmaw. It was unavoidable, there were answers to be had and as far as the women has analyzed, perhaps incorrectly, the voice heard within her mind perhaps was connected to the dust running rampant within Frostmaw. It was not so much of a stretch, who else would have access to such high amount of red dust and ice spice to launch an ambush at the wall? These are the thoughts that plague Meri's mind as booted feet trudge through the snow-covered path. The tattooed woman is so consumed with these thoughts that she first does not react to the elf trying to gain her attention. It was when he starts in with the 'come with me' that she actually looks toward the elf. 'Encouragment' is only further provided as that familiar voice breaks through the walls of her mind. Red lips twist up into a practiced and easy-going smile, "Alright." The elf is left to lead the way with that quick agreement, Meri would follow, drawing the furs of her cloak a bit more tightly about her body. Damn cold.

The cavern was much warmer than the rest of Frostmaw, so at least that was something! As Meri enters the cavern, the elf scurries towards a little pouch and lifts it greedily before hurriedly scampering out. A small statuette of a wolf sits on the cavern floor, emanating magic. “You came,” the disembodied voice announces. It is not surprised, it not pleased, it is nothing. Truly, a monotonous voice. “Why did you come?” it asks with a genuine sense of curiosity. If Meri is particularly observant, she will note that the voice does not come from any particular direction for this is the work of magic. A magic that cannot be traced or pinpointed exactly, it bounces around the room far too much to be located accurately. But it oozes power. Old power.

Meri paid no heed to the elf once he departed, but she can't help but wonder just where that pouch manifested from. As much as Meri would love to begin to attempt to pinpoint where this magical voice is coming from, that is a task she cannot even begin to attempt and fail. The psion's abilities do not lean that way. That does not stop Meri from attempting to use her other senses to try and gain some understanding as to where this voice may be coming from. In the center of the cavern, Meri pivots about in a slow circle with blue eyes traveling up and down the area to take in -every- detail. Nothing. Not one shred of evidence sticks out in the woman's mind. There is one course of action apparent: talk. Questions were never a favorite of Meri's, unless she was doing the asking, and they were often evaded with vague answers and snark. Meri would mind herself this time, she would like to walk out of this cave. "You made an offer. I am here to see what you want in exchange for that offer..."

The Entity's voice was hard to place. Everywhere and nowhere all at once, right by her ear and then whispering in the depths of the cave far away from her. As Meri fires back that she wants to know what it wants in exchange for giving her power, the disembodied voice gives a rattling laugh that only seems to grow in volume as it bounces against every nook and cranny in the cavern; resonating throughout the cold walls of the twilight cavern. "Oh, child, I think you know," it croons back at her with no malevolence or hate; it seems to sound like a teacher here merely wanting what's best for its protege. "I will give you power in exchange for a little mischief. This City of War spends too long bragging about its might and valour, yet throw a little dust in their face and they are reduced to the babbling animals that they are. What can you expect when an overgrown lizard rules a land of men?" The voice was conversational in the way it disparaged Frostmaw and Hildegarde, as if this was not a new thing to it; it had seen it time and time again. "The world is not ready for the darkness to come. We must test them and their faith first," and destroy a leader who would strive for justice and good; a leader who might just be capable of fighting back the darkness, "so we know they can defend us all. I would only ask you to bring more of the dust into the city. To spread it around a little," it asks its favour sweetly, hoping for the best from Meri. Although this entity might well try to kill her if she does not agree. "Your mind... I can feel it extending constantly. Is that your talent? I can make it all the stronger... I can make it so you could overpower the mind of those weaker than you. Or perhaps it is those little tattoos you like. I could assist you there. Control the ink you put in someone's body. The dagger you tattoo upon the sailor's stomach could well be the dagger that slays him in his sleep."

It did not matter that Meri could not even come close to pinpointing where that voice was coming from, her paranoid mind would not let her stop that slow circle. Just in case, as Meri does not want to keep her back toward any wall for too long nor does she want her gaze to settle. She would not let herself get comfortable nor complacent in the company of an entity unknown (even if she stood no chance against it). What this being wanted was heard loud and clear, an easy smile given as affirmation that she believed it would be easy enough for her to spread a little dust around the city. What the dust she was inclined to peddle may not sit well with the group that seems to have a hold on the business up here but....! That is how it goes, competition was an unavoidable part of life. The first suggestion for what she might be able to earn in return is met with a lifted brow. Not one ounce of Meri's being is tempted by an offer that might involve tampering with Meri's own mind. Red lips are pressed together, easily dismissing that reward. The second suggestion seems to pull at Meri's curiosity far more than the first. Meri echoes back, "Could it be the dagger that slays him in his sleep? Do tell...How can ink slay a man if the weapon never leaves his flesh and there is no one to wield the dagger?" Feet finally draw to a halt, the circles Meri is spinning coming to a stop, but watchful glances over her shoulder are still frequent.

The Entity felt as though Meri was interested in its offer now. "Ink is more powerful thank you think. Does the saying not go: the pen is mightier than the sword? And what, child, is the pen full of?" Obviously, the answer was ink. "I will make a gift for you," the entity promises Meri, misty shadows curling around the wolf statuette only to rise up and up before finally unfurling. A tendril of smoky shadow held out what looked to a barbed wand that had a slight hook at the end; similar to the stinger of a scorpion. "You hold this in your hand. A dab of ink from it in your tattoo artistry... and it will be like a drop of poison in the well of water. When you wish to control the ink, you must hold the pike in your hand and concentrate. Extend the limits of your mind and feel it resonate within you. It is exhausting," the entity manages to prevent itself from saying 'for a being like you', "and you will not be able to sustain it forever. But it will obey you, should you wish to have it."

It is not that Meri had not seen the wolf statue prior, it was just that the artist had paid it little mind until this very moment. The magic that it emanates is not something that Meri has been able to pick up until this point, now that is visible and manifesting in mist and shadow. It had been the disembodied voice that Meri had been so quick to focus on, and to what end? Somewhere in the back of her mind there is a vague and dull feeling that perhaps this entity is not something that she wants to tangle too closely with. She could still turn heel and walk right on out, right? Gut instinct is completely ignored in favor of the temptation the power this gift could grant. It is without hesitation that Meri reaches out to pluck the barbed wand out from the air. Once it is in the grasp of her gloved hand, she would take the time to examine the details up close by twirling the wand around slowly and studying the barbed end. "Why would I not wish to have it..." This entity has spoken it's wants and Meri has received an offer in exchange for this a little bit of mischief, but she lingered. For now. It's not as though the woman expected small talk with this being, but it was not clear that there conversation was finished and Meri. So she would fish that out with, "If there is nothing else...I have a task to tend to, don't I?"

As Meri takes the ebony pike, she would feel a sharp burning sensation that was fortunately brief. It could probably be described as tiny needles jabbing swiftly against the flesh, so swiftly in fact, that it formed just a sharp tingling burning sensation, similar to getting a tattoo. The Entity would likely grin if it had a face! "That you do, child," it near enough croons. "We will meet again. We will meet when my form is... more corporeal," it seems to promise. "The man at the bank will assist you in your task" the swirling shadows tell her, before swarming the wolf statuette with such ferocity that the statuette seems to crack and crumble in amongst itself; as if it were stuck in a compactor. If Meri were to extend her senses and check the room, she would find no trace or sense of the entity here any longer.

The tattoo manifests on the side of Meri's neck, forming on the opposite side of the dagger tattoo, visible to those who really take the time to look but her blonde hair will mask the mark for those who do not. Meri's reaction to this is a wide-eyed look of surprise, having not expected this sensation and ultimately having no real clue that a new dipicition has found its way into her skin. She would have to find a mirror. A tattooed hand moves to touch the area she just felt that sensation at but ultimately feels nothing. It felt like skin, no blood, no welts. Confusion sets in and with the conversation at an end, Meri turns heel and leaves.